Coronavirus has made life difficult for all of us.

But imagine living in a tiny shared hostel room with two other people you don't know, no hygiene measures and £5 per day to live on.

Imagine being thousands of miles away from your loved ones with no access to a phone or the internet.

Now, on top of all this, imagine having to represent your asylum case without a lawyer knowing that your success is literally the difference between life and death.

This is the reality that our clients face every single day.

Manuel Bravo Project exists to defend the rights of vulnerable asylum seekers and ensure they receive free, sensitive and fair access to justice.

But our future is uncertain. Our services are in high demand and our ability to raise funds through grants and donations has been severely reduced by the global pandemic. We urgently need funds to enable our vital work to continue.

Manuel Bravo Project is named after Manuel Bravo, an Angolan asylum seeker who lived in Leeds. Manuel was involved in a pro-democracy party and fled Angola after his farm was raided by security forces and his parents and sisters were killed. Manuel was forced to represent himself in court after his lawyer dropped the case on the day of the hearing. He found out that his case had failed after he and his ten year old son were detained by the Home Office and placed into Yarlswood Detention Centre to await removal from the UK. Manuel died by suicide whilst in detention, hoping that his son would be allowed to remain safely in the UK.

Manuel Bravo Project was set up by concerned community members and local faith groups to ensure that asylum seekers could access free legal advice and assistance with their asylum case. Now in our 11th year of operation, Manuel Bravo Project has evolved to become a highly specialised advice provider and an integral part of the local third sector provision for asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds.

We are unique in that we in provide a trauma-aware service, with all of our staff trained in sensitive interview techniques and Mental Health First Aid. Each client is given as much time and support as they need to fully disclose the facts of their case, improving the overall likelihood of case success. We have pioneered a model of working where clients receive specialised legal advice and get support from our trained volunteers who provide emotional and practical support, empowering our clients to take control of their legal case and connecting them to other vital services (such as housing, mental health and destitution advice).

Asylum is a human right, please donate now and help us to defend it.